Perfecting the Craft

A matched pair of Sicán ceremonial cups.

The Sicán perfected a technique of pounding gold into extremely thin sheets. Archaeologists found two strips of metal from a Sicán site, that were only 0.006 inches thick—almost as thin as a piece of paper. To show respect for their deceased, the Sicán would prepare the dead for the next world by burying them with gold, copper, and shells to carry water.